CCHM Program
Graduate Certificate in Chinese Herbal Medicine (CCHM)
Program Description
The graduate Certificate in Chinese Herbal Medicine (CCHM) requires 61.5 credits (785 hours) including 255 hours of Clinical training to complete the program. The normal program length of CCHM is 2 years.
The CCHM program is an immersion in the knowledge and clinical experience of Chinese Herbology. The CCHM program is designed to educate students who wish or require fundamental and detailed education in Traditional Chinese Herbology. This certificate program provides necessary traditional Chinese Herbology information to complete professional master degree education in Oriental Medicine field.
Program Objectives
The Objectives of the Certificate in East Asian Nutrition Program is to create leading practitioners of Oriental Medicine through student centered educational structures and experiences that will produce the following competencies
1. Defend an etiology of disease from the Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective and utilize this to create and recommend disease prevention strategies.
2. Have the ability to formulate a logical treatment principle from the Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis, which can be put into action utilizing the Traditional Chinese Medicine modalities.
3. Evaluate patients exhibiting complaints from within the appropriate scope of practice utilizing the Four Pillars of Diagnosis to formulate a treatment plan.
4. Gain knowledge of traditional methods of assessment and appropriate treatment of patients.
5. Demonstrate competency in administering a treatment plan as part of the clinical encounter
6. Identify and demonstrate knowledge of situations and symptoms which necessitate the need for referral to an appropriate health care professional.
7. Demonstrate the ability to communicate in a professional manner the Traditional Chinese Medicine concepts and diagnoses to other qualified complementary healthcare professionals.
8. Outline and model personal and professional ethical standards.
Graduation Requirements
General graduation requirements are as follows:
1. Satisfactory completion of all required course work and clinical hours in accordance with the Residency Requirement.
2. Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
3. Satisfactory passing of Graduation Examination
4. Passing of Phase Exams (each before entry of observation, intern level 1, 2, 3), among other requirements including First-aid and Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification
5. Annual training of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
6. Complete the program within one and one-half time of the program length.
7. Meet all financial obligations to the University
A student must satisfy degree requirements, as outlined in the catalog in effect at the time of enrollment at Virginia University of Integrative Medicine as a degree program student, unless the student interrupts his/her program. It may become necessary to satisfy the program requirements as outlined in the catalog in effect at the time the student re-enters as a student
License Requirements
The State of Virginia does not require Chinese Herbology NCCAOM exam to acquire the license and practice acupuncture. However, there are many states that require Chinese Herbology NCCAOM exam as a part of their requirement to apply for a license. Also, NCCAOM Acupuncture Certification can be converted to NCCAOM Oriental Medicine Certification after passing Chinese Herbology NCCAOM exam.